‘We still see the demands’: Pharmacies prepare for updated COVID-19 booster shot

RICHMOND, Va. (WWBT) - The updated COVID-19 booster shots got the green light officially on Tuesday.

The new vaccines haven’t arrived yet at many local pharmacies, but they have placed their orders, and the doses should arrive within the next week.

“We still see the demands. People come in and ask, more especially with the news of the new booster coming out,” Dr. Joseph Jadallah with Buford Road Pharmacy said. “We do have a good volume of people coming in and calling.”

Jadallah said customers are curious about the new fall COVID booster shot that will be ready and available in a few days.

“We’re going to be offering both Pfizer and Moderna,” Jadallah said. “We already placed our order, and now we’re just waiting for them to ship it.”

The revamped booster targets a single variant, and most doctors say you should get it if you’re six months or older.

“Cases are increasing. Overall, we are still at a lower level. We have been some other falls, but still, with that increase in cases, it’s so good to have that additional weapon that we can use against COVID-19 available to us,” Richmond Henrico Health Districts Director Dr. Elaine Perry said.

According to the CDC, if you recently got a booster, you should wait another two months to get this new shot.

The booster will also be treated like other vaccines, so if you have insurance, your insurance should cover the cost.

Children in low-income families can get it for free through the Vaccines for Children Program, and many adults with lower incomes may also qualify for free shots.

If you want, you can get the booster and flu shot simultaneously, and protection should kick in after about two weeks.

“So if you get the vaccine, even if you do get COVID, usually it’s milder,” Dr. Perry said. “But the other thing that’s important is that there’s a lower chance that you would get long COVID after you’ve been vaccinated, so very important information.”

Dr. Perry also said you can expect the same side effects as the other shots, like a sore arm or tiredness.

By the end of the week, you should be able to go to vaccines.gov to find where the new boosters are available.

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